Shandong province marine facility expected to start operating next year |
The China National Deep Sea Center, expected to start operating next year, will be open to China and the world to explore the ocean depths, according to a senior official. Liu Feng, director of the center, said that by drawing on ideas from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the United States, a well-known ocean research, engineering and educational organization, the center will act as a bridge connecting scientists' demands with technical research and development. With building expected to start in May, the center will cover about 26 hectares of land and 62.7 hectares of sea in Jimo county, off the east coast of Shandong province, serving as a support station for deep-sea facilities, including Jiaolong, China's manned submersible. The center's design plan includes a construction and maintenance workshop, a scientific research building, a large pool for experimental dives, and training facilities. It will feature five berths to accommodate two vessels weighing 6,000 metric tons and three of 3,000 tons. Xinhua News Agency reported that the center will cost an estimated 495 million yuan ($78.6 million) for initial construction, but Liu said the cost can only be disclosed after the feasibility report is approved by the National Development and Reform Commission. Scientists can apply to use the deep-sea equipment managed by the center, Liu said. Liu also said an expert assessment committee should be set up to assess applications, and arrange them according to urgency and feasibility, as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution does. But regulations and detailed operating rules, such as how to levy charges, are still being considered. The deep-sea base program is the fifth of its kind in the world, following those in the US, Russia, France and Japan. "Besides Jiaolong, other ocean research facilities will be managed by the center, including a 4,000 ton mother ship for submersible and ocean scientific research vessels and automatic underwater vehicles," Liu said. Ren Zhengang, director of the construction office at the Qingdao Blue Economic Zone, said the center's land construction project will start later this year. The deep-sea base program is also on the schedule of the China Ocean Mineral Resource Research and Development Association this year, said Jin Jiancai, secretary-general of the association. He said the center will provide maintenance and technical support for deep-sea equipment, such as Jiaolong. With attention focusing on construction of the deep-sea center, China is accelerating its oceanic exploration efforts. At the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in November, Hu Jintao, former general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said building China into a maritime power has strategic importance. Oceans cover about 70 percent of the Earth's surface, influencing the climate, producing half the planet's oxygen and providing huge economic value. "It is not enough to just explore our three million-square-kilometer seawater area for China. The deep sea, as an important part of the ocean, should be covered in our scientific research and exploration, which is also a part of building China into a maritime power," Liu said, adding it is also the reason for establishing the center. Scientists believe the sea at depths of 4,000 to 6,000 meters holds abundant deposits of rare metals and methane hydrate, a form of natural gas bound in ice that could serve as a new energy source. Besides China, many countries are accelerating efforts to explore the ocean for undersea resources and energy. China sent Jiaolong below 7,000 meters in June 2012. It will be sent to the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean from June to September for scientific research. Liu said a plan for the center's deep-sea equipment development for the next five to 10 years will be drawn up this year.
|
國家深?;毓芾碇行闹魅蝿⒎逶诮邮堋吨袊?qǐng)?bào)》專訪時(shí)表示,國家深?;貙⒊蔀橐粋€(gè)面向國際的開放平臺(tái),歡迎各國科學(xué)家們能夠參與到今后的科考航次與下潛中來。 劉峰預(yù)計(jì)深?;赜型?月份開工,明年年底前全部交付使用。屆時(shí)國家深海基地將承擔(dān)起國家深海海洋裝備研發(fā)、試驗(yàn)和應(yīng)用之間整個(gè)鏈條中的一環(huán)的作用。 國家深海基地建成后,中國將成為繼美國,俄羅斯,法國和日本之后,世界上第五個(gè)擁有深海技術(shù)支撐基地的國家,負(fù)責(zé)我國國際海域重大裝備的集中管理、國家深海裝備的購置與改造,國家新研制深海裝備的實(shí)驗(yàn)、開展深海技術(shù)裝備的研發(fā)、執(zhí)行深海資源勘察、深??茖W(xué)考察等活動(dòng),并負(fù)責(zé)潛航員的選拔、管理和培訓(xùn)等。 據(jù)國家深海基地管理中心網(wǎng)站信息,國家深?;毓芾碇行淖溆谇鄭u即墨,占地390畝,征用海域62.7公頃。 據(jù)青島財(cái)經(jīng)日?qǐng)?bào)日前報(bào)道,一期建設(shè)分為陸域和海域兩大建設(shè)板塊,其中包括建設(shè)維護(hù)維修車間、科研辦公大樓、大型試驗(yàn)水池,以及潛航員訓(xùn)練培訓(xùn)設(shè)施和專家公寓等。 為了能夠充分地利用岸線,深海基地在原有碼頭設(shè)計(jì)基礎(chǔ)上進(jìn)行了優(yōu)化,新增了三個(gè)泊位,建成后共有兩個(gè)6000噸級(jí)和三個(gè)3000噸級(jí)的泊位。 劉峰介紹目前正在報(bào)批發(fā)改委的蛟龍?zhí)柕哪复瑢⑷腭v基地,同時(shí)將為其他科考船提供服務(wù)。 他說深海基地的理念是集中、統(tǒng)一管理和使用這些深海裝備,為科學(xué)家提供一個(gè)公共平臺(tái),為國家整個(gè)的海洋的研究提供優(yōu)質(zhì)服務(wù)。 劉峰認(rèn)為深?;乜梢越梃b美國WHOI海洋研究所的運(yùn)行模式,建立一個(gè)由不同方面領(lǐng)導(dǎo)和專家學(xué)者組成的委員會(huì),綜合的評(píng)價(jià)科學(xué)家的深海科考需求,在條件允許下,選擇最急需及最成熟的項(xiàng)目?jī)?yōu)先安排。 他介紹,根據(jù)任務(wù)的來源可以分為國家的任務(wù)以及企業(yè)的任務(wù)。,這些企業(yè)任務(wù),比方考古或者什么海上石油等等這些工作,就需要按照市場(chǎng)價(jià)格提供服務(wù)。 中國大洋礦產(chǎn)資源研究開發(fā)協(xié)會(huì)秘書長(zhǎng)金建才介紹,中國的一些科學(xué)家就是通過購買外國的下潛來完成對(duì)深海的認(rèn)識(shí)的。 基地的建設(shè)正在緊鑼密鼓地籌備,青島發(fā)改委副主任任振剛介紹2013年國家深海基地將開工建設(shè)全部陸域工程。 不僅青島發(fā)改委,中國大洋礦產(chǎn)資源研究開發(fā)協(xié)會(huì)也將國家深?;氐慕ㄔO(shè)列入了今年的工作重點(diǎn)。,大洋協(xié)會(huì)秘書長(zhǎng)金建才認(rèn)為國家深?;亟ǔ芍髮?“蛟龍?zhí)枴背B(tài)化業(yè)務(wù)運(yùn)行提供維護(hù)保養(yǎng)和技術(shù)保障。 十八大報(bào)告首次提出,要建設(shè)“海洋強(qiáng)國”,對(duì)于劉峰來說,國家深?;氐慕ㄔO(shè)正是順應(yīng)了這種發(fā)展趨勢(shì)。 他說:“整個(gè)海洋占整個(gè)地球 面積的70%,光是緊盯著我們的300萬平方公里的專屬經(jīng)濟(jì)區(qū)顯然是不夠的,深海應(yīng)該是建設(shè)海洋強(qiáng)國的一個(gè)重要的組成部分”。 深海中除了錳結(jié)核、,過金屬硫化物等礦藏,還有儲(chǔ)量豐富的深海油氣、,熱液礦床以及添人氣水合物等能源。深海是人類緩解陸地資源逐漸枯竭、拓展生存發(fā)展空間的戰(zhàn)略必爭(zhēng)之地。 國家科技部從2002年開始撥款研制載人潛水器,當(dāng)時(shí)中國的載人潛水器技術(shù)只能到達(dá)600米級(jí)深度,十年內(nèi),中國趕超了美、法、日、俄等潛水強(qiáng)國,領(lǐng)先世界。去年“蛟龍?zhí)枴背晒ν黄?000米下潛深度后,今年6月份將赴南海進(jìn)行深海資源考察。 除了深海基地加快建設(shè)外,劉峰今年工作的另一個(gè)重點(diǎn)就是要制定一個(gè)5-10年的深海裝備的中長(zhǎng)期發(fā)展規(guī)劃。 (中國日?qǐng)?bào) 王茜 本文為編譯,原文刊登于4月13日版《中國日?qǐng)?bào)》)
|
|